The Park Central Lifestyle group, who brought Park Central Residence to the students of Bellville’s top colleges, are opening Toplin House, a brand new student residence in just five weeks’ time!

Promising 85 spacious, sunny rooms, Toplin is hot property in a central location that is close to outlets like Shoprite, Spar, Spur, Absa, Vees Videos and Fishaways.

The Park Central partners, Retief Rautenbach, Georges Comitis and Shaun Stevenson have been working around the clock to get their new student housing project up and running on the corners of Voortrekker and Robertson Roads in Parow and it promises to fill up fast.

Toplin offers single, double, triple and quadruple room accommodation and boasts state of the art facilities such as personalised lockers, foosball and pool tables, flat screen DStv and modern, pristine bathrooms. It will also feature a rooftop braai area, a cosy study room and a tuck shop for late night snacks. Added to this, biometric fingerprint access and constant in- house security will maintain peace of mind for parents and students and ensure harmony within the large, communal building.

Are you looking for a fun, trendy place to stay when you study in Bellville in 2016? Look no further!

Toplin House is the place for you. Visit the Park Central Lifestyle website and get in touch and find Park Central on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more.

Are you and your partner in crime thinking about moving in together in 2016? You basically live and die in each other’s pockets already. What would change if you sealed the deal and became house-mates as well?

Living with your BFF might not be as effortless as hanging out with her.

Have you ever heard the old adage that you don’t really know someone until you live with them? Like it or not, from move-in day on you will be bombarded with your BFF-turned-roommate’s habits, and she with yours.

Her Bad Habits:

Her bad habits and daily negligence, like piling filthy dishes and coffee granules in cold, murky dishwater or using your GHD and leaving it on all night, are going to rub you up the wrong way and it’s only a matter of time before they will start to make your blood boil if you don’t address them.

And Yours..?

You also have to take some time out to reflect on your own bad habits and how they might be bristling her hairbrush. How many times have you forgotten to buy toilet paper now? Did you ask if you could borrow that Mac lipstick which you lost on Tuesday night at Fiction? Whose jar of Nutella was it that you ate in one sitting when you got home from the party and binged like an animal?

What about the ‘Bro-Code’?

If you’re a guy and your bromance takes a turn for the worse after moving in with your best friend, the same give and take applies. Leaving dirty laundry all over the landing is considered inconsiderate, especially when guests come over; and hogging the TV for a weekend Xbox marathon, when the Premier League Finals screen once a year, is just plain selfish.

Communication is Key

It doesn’t have to be like this forever and in fact, taking initial steps to put boundaries into place from day one could ensure the success of your home environment and the longevity of your friendship.

This is because moving in with your BFF gives you a head start on communication. You already know each other really well so the first conversation about your living situation should be easy to initiate and natural to navigate.

Try raising a couple of these questions when you sit down to your first meal in the house together:

Will you borrow each other’s clothes? Should you ask permission first out of respect?

Communal groceries? Out-of-bounds items?

What’s the best cleaning schedule to halve the load?

What’s the deal with visitors? Boyfriends sleeping over?

What will the cues for ‘alone time’ and ‘time-out’ be when the space gets too crowded for the two of you?

Another Solution!

Park Central Lifestyle has another solution. Our new residences, Toplin House and Kruskal House are opening in 2016 and provides single and double rooms, communal kitchen space, laundry facilities and large social areas for chilling out in between study hours.

Always wanted to live with your bestie but not sure that your friendship would survive it?

Are you struggling to save money or to simply make ends meet on a shoe-string, student budget? We’ve got some simple solutions to that hole in your pocket this month that are sure to help you live smartly:

Don’t underestimate the Excel Spreadsheet!

Draw up a trusty Excel spreadsheet and in one column outline your projected expenses for the month. In the other, outline your current income. Auto-sum both columns and then ascertain how much is remaining and how much of this you can effectively save.

Track your withdrawals and balances

Make a habit if only drawing the cash that you need from the ATM. The more cash you draw the more you will feel like you have to blow and you’ll only end up with a massive hole in your pocket. In this regard, it’s wise to activate online banking and to consistently check your statements and balances.

Find part-time work to supplement your income

If your income falls short of your expenses or you simply feel that you aren’t saving enough, it may be time consider casual employment to cover your bases. If you write well, look for part-time copy-editing and writing jobs online. Loads of companies need blog work done. Advertise your services on Gumtree. How about a casual waiting or bartending job at a restaurant near you? You could make some good tips and meet new people.

Did you know that Amazon buys second-hand textbooks? Well now you do. Put up a notice in your University Library or relevant department advertising your old textbooks and their discounted prices. You’re sure to get great feedback from other students in need. Why not spring clean your dorm room and have a yard sale while you’re at it?

Share living costs with your housemates/ fellow residents

Do you struggle to keep your space clean with your busy study/work schedule? Hiring help can be inexpensive if you split the bill between several housemates or fellow residents. The same applies to meals. Why not eat supper together and designate weeknights for different people to cook and budget for R150 to R200 per meal. If there are five of you, you’ll end up spending R200 a week for your suppers (excluding weekends).